Road bike gears

poskantor

Hi guys,

Hope someone can help with this. I'm looking to modify the gear set up on my road bike. I've currently got a 10-Speed Cassette, 11-25T, but I'm riding alot of hills these days and feel that its left wanting on the bigger ascents and descents.

Anyone know if I can increase my gear range? and if so is it expensive, easy to do etc?

Chips Lovell

Swapping the cassette to a 12-27 range will make a difference. New cassettes usually cost between €20 and €40.

kincsem

I have a Shimano Ultegra triple - front 52;39;30: back 12-27. Most people would say you could get up any hill in Ireland with that, but I doubt any of them are my age (59). I can get up most hills when I am fit.

Yesterday I ordered -
1 Shimano XT Cassette 9 Speed M770 - 11-34
1 Shimano XT Rear Derailleur Rapid Rise M770 - SGS Long Cage
and
Jtek ShiftMate Model 2

The Jtek part fits on the gear shift cable near the rear wheel. It helps shift the new 9 gear cassette as the shifters on the bike are for a 10 gear cassette.

I am a mechanical simpleton but I'll try to get that kit to work.

poskantor

Do cassettes go lower than 11?...this will give me more power on decents right?

velo.2010

Road bike cassetes dont go lower than 11 sprocket, maybe track bikes go lower!?

CheGuedara

I think you can get special tandem/recumbent hubs that can take a 9t... would be awsomely difficult to push with a 53t front ring

Lumen

poskantor wrote: »

Do cassettes go lower than 11?...this will give me more power on decents right?

Yes, but not more speed. After a certain point you'll go faster coasting due to aero factors, and up to that point an 11T is fine.

Muller_1

You might be better off changing your chain rings what are you riding at the moment?

Dr_Colossus

kincsem wrote: »

I have a Shimano Ultegra triple - front 52;39;30: back 12-27. Most people would say you could get up any hill in Ireland with that, but I doubt any of them are my age (59). I can get up most hills when I am fit.

Yesterday I ordered -
1 Shimano XT Cassette 9 Speed M770 - 11-34
1 Shimano XT Rear Derailleur Rapid Rise M770 - SGS Long Cage
and
Jtek ShiftMate Model 2

The Jtek part fits on the gear shift cable near the rear wheel. It helps shift the new 9 gear cassette as the shifters on the bike are for a 10 gear cassette.

I am a mechanical simpleton but I'll try to get that kit to work.

Guessing you might need a longer chain also with the increased gears on the cassette and long cage on the derailleur, 34 is pretty hugh.

kincsem

Dr_Colossus wrote: »

Guessing you might need a longer chain also with the increased gears on the cassette and long cage on the derailleur, 34 is pretty huge.

I got an 11-32 put on my Specialized Sirrus last week. It shifted ok then but now it won't go on the 32 ring. I'll fix it later.
The 11-34 arrived in the last hour. Its a very nice bit of kit. I'm more worried about chain width than chain length tbh.